Blackcurrant; Medicinal uses

Blackcurrants are very high in vitamin C - containing four times as much as the equivalent weight of oranges; while their skins contain anthocyanidins, important antioxidant flavonoids with an anti-inflammatory effect, which explains the practice of sipping hot blackcurrant syrup for sore throats in folk medicine.

Blackcurrant seed oilcontains fatty acids and is one of the richest sources of gamma-linolenic acid (gla) - in fact it contains about 15 per cent more GLA than evening primrose oil - and is sold in capsules in health food shops. The same oil has skin softening properties - also improving the skins suppleness. See 'Antioxidants'; 'Blackcurrant'; 'Crème de Cassis'; 'GLA';

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